Wealthy Billericay businessman Tony Mudd, who locked horns with MP Teresa Gorman in a famous libel case, has died.

The funeral of Mr Mudd, 70, was held at St Mary the Virgin Church, Little Burstead, on Friday.

Mr Mudd clashed with the outspoken Billericay MP after publishing a mock press release to at least 100 high-ranking Essex Tories which she claimed "ridiculed and humiliated me and made out I was untrustworthy."

The case was eventually settled in London's High Court, where Mr Mudd was ordered to pay Mrs Gorman £150,000 damages, as well as the £250,000 costs of bringing the case. The damages were reduced to £50,000 following a successful appeal.

Barking-born Mr Mudd lived in a luxury 400-year-old country house in Clock Lane, Little Burstead.

After national service in Northern Ireland, he worked as an office boy at Manor Motors, in Harts Corner, Billericay.

He moved on to a firm of London accountants before launching his own practice in 1968. It went on to become the biggest practice in Essex.

He was the head of Billericay Conservative Businessman's Association and was a well-known figure in his personalised Rolls Royce, MUD 2.

Tony Mudd

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